


The True You

by Snelly_ESQ



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-12
Updated: 2020-07-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25214020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Snelly_ESQ/pseuds/Snelly_ESQ
Summary: Ty Lee hasn't been herself, lately. While most of the time, it's easy to suppress, she's pulling guard duty with the Kyoshi on Ember Island. And, as we all know, Ember Island reveals the true you.
Relationships: Sokka/Suki (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	The True You

**Author's Note:**

> (Note: This does not follow the comics, nor does it follow the end of the show exactly)

The night was clear on Ember Island, as the firelord and lady rested, and the Kyoshi stood watch. Save for the rustling of the waves hitting the shoreline under a full moon, and the sound of a slight breeze, the night almost seemed to stand still. The storm fronts that had come through seemed to have gone, and the harsh edge of the front drifting away could be seen looking up the beach, creating a clear line between the stars and the clouds. The air was warm, and the water seemed warm enough, too, at least, to put your feet in. And Ty Lee had her feet in the water. 

The once proud Kyoshi warrior stood on the shore at night, looking up at the sky. Something had just...gone wrong. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. She wasn’t supposed to  _ feel _ this way. It was this hollow, helpless feeling, more or less like the absence of feeling, the absence of purpose. She hadn’t felt like this too often in her life, but when she did, it enveloped her. She almost thought about slipping past the waves, seeing how far she could make it before she drowned. 

What was causing this? She’d felt it at home, and now she was feeling it here, with the Kyoshi. The Kyoshi Warriors were nothing like her home, though! They were individuals, they were people, even though they wore the same uniform they weren’t always expected to be the same as each other. Teamwork is different from conformity. Ty Lee knew that. 

Still. Something didn’t sit right. Was it Azula? Not necessarily...she had  _ other  _ feelings about that. She sighed and looked down. She was trying to figure this out, but kept coming up empty handed. She walked a bit further into the water, still looking at the moon. 

“...a new friend told me he knew you.” She said, almost to herself, but still aloud. “He told me he loved you, once. He and I aren’t close, but...we’re friendly enough.” She blinked a few times. 

“Can you just send me a sign?”

“Ty Lee?” Out to the shore came Suki, wearing green sleepwear. Her face still looked a bit wet from removing the makeup. “What are you doing out here?”

“Suki!” Ty Lee tried her best to gather a smile. “I was...just on a walk! It’s pretty out, right?” She walked closer to the shore, casually, as if she wasn’t just about to let herself drift out. Anyone else would have bought it. Suki wasn’t anyone else. 

“Ty Lee, something’s off about you lately, if you don’t mind my saying.”

Ty Lee’s breath hitched. “What makes you say that?”

“Well, these walks have been getting an awful lot more common.” Suki said. “Even when we were back on our island and you were getting reacquainted.” 

“Well, I-” 

“Ty Lee,” Suki walked closer, slowly, as if trying not to startle something, “are you alright? You just...you haven’t been yourself lately! You’ve been distant, aloof, y’know, just very uncharacteristic.” Suki got close enough to touch her, and held her hand. “What’s the matter?”

“I-” That was the issue. Ty Lee only had a very vague idea of what could even  _ be  _ the matter. “I don’t know.” She said. “I don’t think I know at all.” 

“Well, how do you feel?”

“Empty? Unfulfilled?” Ty Lee shrugged. “Alone?”

“Alone?” Suki asked. “You’ve got all of us with you.” Suki smiled, hugging her. 

“I know, and I appreciate that, but,” She pulled away from the hug, “I just don’t think I know much about anything anymore.”

“Ty Lee, you’re not implying that you’re stupid, are you? Because believe me, I  _ know  _ what stupid looks like, I’ve had to deal with plenty of stupid in this line of work.”

“No, I’m not. I know plenty, just...not about my feelings?” She shook her head. “I know, the aura reader not knowing about her feelings seems so bizarre, but I’m pretty gray these days. It’s odd. I rarely see that one.” 

“Do you know what it means?”

“I don’t know!” Ty Lee practically barked the response, a frustrated look crossing her face, a look that Suki rarely, if ever, saw. “I don’t know what anything means, I don’t know how I feel, I don’t know why I can’t feel right now, I just...I don’t know myself!” This was the angriest she’d been in front of Suki. And Sukim notably, was shocked. 

“Ty Lee, what’s gotten into y-”

“Nothing’s gotten  _ into _ me!” She choked up a bit. “Just because I’m the happy one doesn’t mean I can’t be angry, or upset.” Ty Lee looked down at the sand and then slowly looked back up, to see Suki looking back at her with warm eyes, and an outstretched hand. 

“You’re right. I’m sorry I pressed like that.” Suki said. “I shouldn’t have. Do you forgive me?”

“I...of course I do.” Ty Lee smiled meekly and held her hand, pulling her into a hug. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to even do. I figured it was the Kyoshi, but it ended up just feeling off. Going back to the circus would probably be the same way. And going back home would be  _ complicated _ .” 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but…” 

“But?”

“On second thought, let’s get you back to your quarters for now.” Suki said, walking up the beach with her, towards the hotel rooms. The night shift was up, and waved to them slightly as they returned. Suki walked with Ty Lee back to Suki’s room, sitting across from her over a table. 

“So, what is there I can do for you?” 

“I really don’t know. I think it has to be a me thing, y’know?” She leaned on the table, her eyes tired and her voice quieter than normal. “I think I need to figure myself out a bit, but I don’t even know where to start.”

“I don’t know how to help with that, I’ll be honest.” Suki said. “But I’m here for you, and the rest of the Kyoshi Warriors are, too.” She smiled warmly at her and put her hand on top of Ty Lee’s. Ty Lee let her smile get a bit larger. “Thanks, Suki.” She looked around. “I...don’t see Sokka anywhere.”

“Oh? Oh, yeah, he’s probably out doing something heinous with Aang.”

“You trust him?”

“Of course! Why wouldn’t I?” She asked. “He’s a good person.”

“Azula never really trusted me with much.” Ty Lee said. “Do you think having an abusive relationship cut short by a sudden mental breakdown might have caused part of this and given me a sense of unlovability, or is that just the wrong idea?”

Suki...blinked a few times. “Did all that come out of your mouth?”

“It did!” 

“Got it...well, I can tell you that it probably doesn’t help.” 

“I didn’t think it would.” 

“Do you think about her a lot?” Suki asked. “You think maybe this is just...missing her?”

“I’m conflicted there.” Her smile slowly faded out. “I missed her for a bit, but...it’s changed. I think it’s more worrying now, than anything else. She kept me there through fear, a lot of the time.” Ty Lee said. “Not that I wouldn’t give her another chance!”

“You shouldn’t.” 

“But I  _ would _ .” 

“We’ll agree to disagree on that one.” Suki said. “In any case, I want to be clear with you that you can have doubts. Doubting things is a part of life, it’s a part of growing and becoming yourself.” 

“But won’t doubt just...create weakness?” 

“Of course not. Doubting yourself, maybe. But doubting where you are, what you’re doing...it makes you stop and think. It makes you grow.” 

“Yeah. Grow.” She said. “I mean, I’m 15. I still have a lot of that to do.” She said. “Would it be heinous to-” 

“Suuuuuuukiiiiiiiiii~” In walked Sokka, leaning on the door frame, holding a rose in his mouth. His eyes went wide when he saw Ty Lee, and also felt the concern in the room. 

“Should I...should I wait-”

“Outside?” Suki finished his sentence. “Yes, love.” She stood up and kissed him. “But I’m glad you’re back.” She sat back down and waited until he slid the door shut. “You were saying?”

“I was going to ask if you thought it would be heinous for me to go on a sorta...sabbatical.” 

Suki leaned on the table, her face a bit closer to Ty Lee’s. “Are you sure?” She asked. “I’m not saying it’s heinous, or that I’d forbid it, but...you said it yourself, you’re only 15.” 

“You went around saving the world just a year after you were 15.” Ty Lee said. “There’s not even a war going on anymore, It’ll be a lot safer.”

“Who would fill your shift?”

“Just get Sokka to do it! He makes a good Kyoshi Warrior, unless you’ve been lying to me about his past?”

“W-well...he is kinda cute in the uniform.” Suki blushed gently. “He might be upset with the arrangements. We weren’t going to be very close to Zuko or Katara tomorrow. We’d be guarding politicians and such.” 

“Eh, he’ll be happy if you’re around, right?” Ty Lee winked. 

“He will be.” She stood. “So...I suggest that if you’re gonna leave, you leave tomorrow, at some point. And  _ plan!  _ Don’t just walk off somewhere!” 

“I know!” She looked out the window of the tiny room. “I already have an idea.” 

“Good...get some sleep. And remember,” Suki hugged her, “You might feel alone, but you aren’t. I promise you.” 

“I appreciate it.” She returned the hug and walked off to her room, sighing, and packing her things. She knew exactly where she was headed next. 

* * *

The morning came. Zuko walked out, wearing the most casual clothing you could expect from the Fire Lord. He looked over the Kyoshi details near his support staff’s rooms, and-

“Suki.”

“Fire Lord?”

“Has Ty Lee gotten...taller?” He asked. “And since when does she have Sokka’s eyes? And nose?”

“Since I took her position.” Sokka said. 

“... _ where  _ is Ty Lee?” 

“She’s headed to the port, I believe. She’s heading somewhere.”

“On her own?” 

“She plans on meeting someone.” 

“ _ Who?”  _ Zuko seemed concerned, to the point that his voice was almost angered. Suki answered to the best of her ability. “I’m not sure, but I think it was either Toph or...someone else. She said she knew them.” 

“Why’d she just up and leave?” 

“Who wants to know?” Sokka asked. “She’s her own woman, Zuko!” 

_ “She’s 15 years old.  _ And you just let her leave?”

“Zuko, with all due respect, you’re not in charge of my organization.” 

Zuko stopped for a moment, and sighed. He nodded. “I’m sorry. I just...I worry.” He said. “We weren’t close enough. I wanted to change that. I overreacted.” 

“It’s fine, we all get frustrated. Especially with weird news like that on your honeymoon, it must be jarring.” Suki said. “Besides, if anyone is gonna be safe out there, it’s Ty Lee.” 

“Did she make that decision?”

“She did, yes.” 

“She seems to run from things a lot.” Zuko said. “I just hope she eventually remembers to stop.”

Someday, she would. Someday, she would slow things down. At least, she thought she would. But that was someday, and this was today. She got on the ferry, and headed off, somewhere else. She took the ferry to the Earth Kingdom, and as it started towards its destination, she looked back on the island. She’d learned a lot about herself on Ember Island. She’d been there more times now than most people ever go, and each time she’d taken something back. Not something tangible, but something more than that. It’s as if bits of herself were scattered over the island, and she just had to find them. 

Maybe there were some pieces left in the Earth Kingdom, as well. She would have to find out on her own. 


End file.
